Exercising the hands using a rod device



y 13, 1969 D. R. MONTANEZ 3,443,809

EXERCISING THE HANDS USING A ROD DEVICE Filed July 5, 1966 MJ Z W United States Patent 3,443,809 EXERCISING THE HANDS USING A ROD DEVICE Daniel R. Montanez, 1205 W. 21st St., Rock Falls, Ill. 61071 Filed July 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,655 Int. Cl. A63b 67/08, 21/30 U.S. Cl. 272-67 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of handling a rod device that includes placing the hands together, placing the rod between the thumbs and index fingers and consecutively and intermittently bending the index, medius, annularis and minimus fingers while permitting the rod to intermittently come to rest against the sides of the unbent fingers, and doing all of the above without dropping the rod.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method of utilizing a rod device so that it operates in a therapeutic manner to exercise and create a touch for balancing material in the hands.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method of manipulating a rod of the above type by placing the hands together with palms joining and fingers outstretched and letting the midportion of the rod rest in the crevices between the thumbs and index fingers. Then, by suitably tilting the hands so that the fingers are intermittently inclined slightly below and above the horizontal, it is the object of the game or treatment to consecutively and intermittently bend the index, medius, annularis, and minimus fingers respectively both inwardly and toward the palms while allowing sufiicient time between bending of the respective fingers to permit the rod to come to rest adjacent the sides of one pair of the respective fingers and the bent fingers that have just previously been bent. The purpose is to balance the rod during this action so that it does not fall from the hands. If successful the next step is to walk or roll the rod device back to the initial position between the thumbs and index fingers by tilting the hands.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is better understood from the following description and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is perspective view of the rod device.

FIG. 2 is vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 through 9 are perspective views showing the hands and rod device in various positions.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the basic unit is a rod structure 10 composed of a single elongated and straight rod or shaft 11 and a pair of balancing elemen s in the form of disks or plates 12, 13 fixed to opposite ends thereof. The disks 12, 13 extend radially from the respective ends and have rounded outer surfaces and edges. The rod 11 is rounded and has a smooth finish that tends to make the rod slippery to the touch. The rod 11 and weights 12, 13 are of lightweight material and preferably are composed of wood. The three parts should weigh less than four pounds. The rod, for purposes that will later become apparent, should be no more than three fourths of an inch in diameter and preferably should be substantially one half inch in diameter and between twelve and twenty six inches long. The disks 12, 13 should have a diameter less than three inches.

The dimensions and weight of the structure is important for the reason that the contemplated use of the structure is one that requires a light weight balanced device that may be handled without gripping and one that will move without building up a large momentum.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 through 9 for use or operation of the rod device 10, the hands 16, 17 are first placed together with the palms together and the fingers and thumbs in outstretched positions. The midportion of the rod device 10 is initially loosely retained between the thumbs 18, 19 and the index fingers 20, 21. The initial position is shown in FIG. 3. It should be understood the object of the handling of the rod device is to prevent it from falling, due to imbalance, from the hands throughout the various maneuvers and without gripping it.

When the rod device is in a position as shown in FIG. 3, the two index fingers 20, 21 are bent inwardly and toward the palms at their two interphalangeal joints and the hands are slightly tilted downwardly to permit the rod device 10 to roll along the sides of the index fingers 20, 21 and to drop to a position, shown in FIG. 4, of contact with the sides of the medius fingers 22, 23. The hands are then slightly inclined upwardly to cause momentary rest of the rod device on the sides of the medius fingers 22, 23 and the joints of the bent index fingers 20, 21. It is in these steps that the rod device will tend to become imbalanced and fall unless skillfully handled.

The next step in handling the rod device is to bend the medius fingers 22, 23 at their interphalangeal joints to cause the rod device to drop to the sides of the annularis fingers 24, 25, as shown in FIG. 5. The next step is to bend the annularis fingers 24, 25 to cause the rod device to drop onto the sides of the minimus fingers 26, 27, as shown in FIG. 6. Momentary pauses are required to retain the balance throughout the various steps.

The next step is to bend the minimus fingers 26, 27 inwardly and toward the palms while at the same time tilting the hands upwardly to cause the rod to rest between the knuckles of the minimus fingers 26, 27 and the annularis fingers 24, 25, as shown in FIG. 7.

The hands 16, 17 are tilted back toward the body, as shown in FIG. 8, to cause the rod device to walk, roll, or otherwise move to the crevices between the thumbs 18, 19 and the sides of the index fingers 20, 21. The hands 16, 17 are then tilted downwardly, as shown in FIG. 9, and the fingers 2027 are extended outwardly, as shown in FIG. 3. 'If the rod device 10 has not fallen by this time the entire operation may be re peated. If competing against other players, the number of cycles may be counted or the time measured before the rod device falls.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of utilizing a lightweight rod weighted at opposite ends to give balance thereto comprising: placing the hands together with palms together and the fingers outstretched; loosely engaging the midpoint of the rod between the thumbs and the index fingers at the base thereof; bending the index fingers simultaneously inwardly and toward the palms while at the same time tilting the hands downwardly to cause the rod to roll over the sides of the index fingers and onto the sides of the extended medius fingers and momentarily inclining the hands upwardly whereby the rod will rest on the surface of the interphalangeal joints of the index fingers and the sides of the medius fingers; bending the medius fingers simultaneously inwardly and toward the palms to permit the rod to shift to the sides of the annularis fingers; bending the annularis fingers inwardly and toward the palms to permit the rod to shift to the sides of the minimus fingers; and bending the minimus fingers while substantially at the same time tilt ing the hands upwardly whereby the knuckles face upwardly to permit the rod to rest in the deflections between the knuckles of the annularis and minimus fingers, and doing all of the above steps without gripping the rod or permitting it to fall from the hands.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of shifting the rod over the knuckles by tilting the hands until the rod again rests between the thumbs and the index fingers.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 in which the rod is shifted by rolling it over the knuckles.

4. A method of balancing a lightweight rod weighted at opposite ends to give balance thereto, comprising: placing the hands together with palms together and the fingers and thumb outstretched; balancing the midportion of the rod in the crevices between the thumbs and the index fingers; and while tilting the hands in various directions in order to prevent the rod from slipping, rolling or otherwise falling, consecutively and intermittently bending the index, medius, annularis and minimus fingers respectively both inwardly and toward the palms while allowing sufficient time between bending of the respective fingers to permit the rod to come to rest adjacent the sides of one pair of the respective fingers and the bent fingers that have previously been bent.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 characterized by the additional step of tilting the hands to cause the rod to roll along the surfaces of the bent fingers to again rest in the crevices between the thumbs and index fingers.

6. The method as set forth in claim 4 in which the rod utilized in the method is rounded, is between twelve and twenty six inches long, is composed of a light weight material, and is less than three quarter inch in diameter; and it is weighted at opposite ends by a pair of ele ments fixed to the respective ends and extending radially therefrom, and said elements are also of light weight material.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 in which the elements are round disk-like elements and have rounded outer surfaces and rounded edges.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6 in which the rod is composed of wood and is substantially one half inch in diameter.

9. The method as set forth in claim 6 in which the rod and elements are less than three pounds in weight.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,385,642 7/1921 Rcstein 273-106 XR 2,377,498 6/1945 Jacke 273106 3,010,721 11/1961 Ellrnan 273109 XR 3,069,804 12/1962 Cirafesi 273-106 XR 3,106,039 10/1963 Simpson 273109 XR RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

PAUL E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

